As of September 1, 2026, the new WHOIS Registration Information Display Policy of the Israel Internet Association (ISOC-IL), operator of the .il and ישראל. country-code top-level domain registries, has taken effect. The updated policy seeks to protect domain holders while ensuring that the Registry continues to provide the transparency necessary to promote trust, investigate abuse and protect Internet users.
This policy change reflects a significant global shift in the way domain registration data is managed. Like many domain registries around the world, the .il registry historically made extensive registration information available through its public WHOIS service. Anyone could look up personal details of domain holders.
The Internet has changed dramatically in recent years, and with it, the risks associated with publishing personal information online. The European Union’s recent General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) made this legally problematic for EU countries, and forced EU registries and registrars to significantly limit public access to personal registration data.
In turn, ICANN’s new Registration Data Policy reflected this shift, and came into effect for contracted generic top-level domain registry operators and ICANN-accredited registrars in August 2025.
Before adopting the new policy, ISOC-IL conducted a comparative review of registration-data display practices among domain registries around the world, alongside a local assessment of how different policy options could affect relevant professional communities and Internet stakeholders in Israel.
Though current Israeli law does not have regulations in place governing this issue, as a public-interest organization entrusted with the operation of critical national Internet infrastructure, ISOC-IL decided to implement a similar shift in its data display policy, driven by the belief that responsible registry stewardship requires more than minimum legal compliance. A national registry must put people’s safety, security and privacy first, while remaining open and trustworthy.